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30 April 2015

Coal scam CBI files charge sheet against Naveen Jindal, Madhu Koda 12 others
The Central Bureau of Investigation has today filed a chargesheet U/s 120-B r/w 420 of IPC and 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of PC Act, 1988 against then Union Minister of State for Coal; Promoter of Delhi based private firms; then Chief Minister of Jharkhand; then Secretary, Union Ministry & then Chairman, 35th Screening Committee; six private persons based at Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad & Ahmedabad and five private firms based at Delhi & Hyderabad before the Special Judge, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi in connection with allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block located in the State of Jharkhand as recommended by 35th Screening Committee.

CBI had registered a case U/s 120-B r/w 420 of IPC and 13(1) (d) of PC Act against then Minister of State for Coal; Director of a Steel Company; four Delhi based private firms; one Hyderabad based private firm and others, in relation to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in the State of Jharkhand.

It was alleged that two Steel and Iron companies based in Delhi misrepresented facts to get coal blocks. Also, there was alleged investment in a Hyderabad based firm from the group of companies based at Delhi.

Searches were conducted on 11.06.2013 at 19 locations in Delhi and Hyderabad in connection with the case.

The agency had alleged that Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Private Limited (GSIPL), also a Jindal firm, had bagged Jharkhand’s Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in 2008 by alleged misrepresentation of facts when Rao was the Minister of State for Coal.

It had claimed that the misrepresentation was allegedly done on three counts —
1- Land
2-water supply
3-previous allocations.

Media reported that JSPL allegedly claimed in an application submitted in January 2007 that they had only three coal blocks with them where as actually they had at least six blocks.
Within a year, a block was allocated to JSPL in January 2008,
Shares of Rao’s firm Soubhagya Media listed at Rs 28 that time were purchased by one of Jindal’s firm New Delhi Exim Limited at Rs 100 per share with total investment of nearly Rs 2.25 crore which is alleged to be illegal gratification.